Do you identify as an avid hiker rather than someone who just likes to occasionally get out into nature? Someone who savors the journey even more than the eventual destination, preparing for the worst while expecting the best hike? Those distinctions have traditionally demarcated the lines between gear chosen by avid adventurers versus recreational exercisers. But that line is increasingly being blurred. Just as trails evolve, so too has the segment of outdoor wear, with brands like adidas TERREX utilizing new technologies and material science to engineer lighter and more comfortable hiking gear unburdened by the past’s definitions of what a hiker is and what they should wear.
Photo: Gregory Han
Interior of TERREX PDX, the brand’s lone retail outpost dedicated solely to the outdoor gear brand. The center display showcases a TERREX jacket under simulated rain conditions. \\\ Photo: Gregory Han
TERREX forgoes a heavier outsole for a lighter, yet aggressively patterned Continental™ Rubber, a layer that would later withstand the sharp basalt shards of an Oregonian trail we’d be invited to test our pair upon. Their durability was also matched by a confident amount of grip even while climbing onto and over wet rocks.
We recently ventured up north to Portland, Oregon to meet with adidas TERREX’s Elisa Schaller, Director of Product/Brand Outdoor, North America at the brand’s one and only semi-permanent pop-up shop dedicated to TERREX, a space committed to community outreach as it is a concerted effort in merchandising. Once there, we were invited to chat with Schaller about TERREX’s evolving approach to designing hiking clothing and footwear with inclusivity and sustainability at the forefront, alongside talk about design attributes of the brand’s newest adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 Low GTX before setting out to test those very same shoes across a section of the Pacific Crest Trail.
Touring the footwear section within the TERREX PDX pop-up, guided by adidas TERREX’s Elisa Schaller, Director of Product/Brand Outdoor, North America.
The Free Hiker 2 Low GTX is in name and spirit the mid-top adidas TERREX Free Hiker 2 with a little less up top. Which explains why slipping into a pair delivered the same instant gratifying comfort as its slightly taller counterpart, our current favorite hiking shoe for sub-10 mile distances. Schaller credits the Free Hiker 2 Low GTX’s easy fit to the spacious toe box, gusseted tongue, and smooth collar lining that together facilitates sliding on a pair and eliminating the need to unlace and wiggle the foot into place.
These are hiking shoes you can slide into with the same ease as trail runners or running shoes, with a satisfying degree of support and grip for both wet and arid conditions. Hikers with wider feet probably hope TERREX will add width options, but as a wide-footed hiker myself, I can attest there’s enough toe box inside for a degree of breathing room without the loss of stability.
If the Free Hiker 2 Low GTX seems a bit too easy going in nature, rest assured, it’s rugged enough for most hiking enthusiasts venturing out for a day hike in all varieties of conditions. Schaller points out a Gore-Tex membrane and abrasion-resistant mesh upper are designed to keep these hiking shoes dry without sacrificing the more nimble feel some hikers are requiring of their footwear. Surprisingly, in comparison to its mid-top counterpart, these low cut models felt a little heavier. “I’m surprised you were able to notice such a minute difference in weight. But yes, they’re a little heavier because the Gore-Tex abrasion-resistant mesh adds a little more weight.” Weight differences aside, these low cut hikers felt considerably more fleet footed than the generations of heavier hiking boots I laced into while traversing Sequoia, Sedona, and sections of the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail).
Arguably the most integral part of the TERREX Free Hiker 2 in either iteration, mid and low, is the inclusion of Adidas’ proprietary BOOST midsole, the white expanded thermoplastic polyurethane section that gives the brand’s shoes its characteristically airy, yet stable foot feel. It’s also the one section of the shoe warranting some concern, noting an all-white exposed thermoplastic is prone to invite structural and aesthetic wear if pushed into harsher conditions. Schaller says TERREX is aware of the concern and is already testing numerous protective applications that retain the midsole’s properties. She also notes the brand is exploring alternative ecologically sustainable materials to further improve the lifecycle of what is inherently a product with a limited lifespan.
“We’re looking at developing materials to ‘close the loop’ while also retaining the durable properties required of outdoor wear. We also want to make recycling our shoes easier, but I cannot say whether that will be a year or several years from now due to the scale required for such an initiative.”
Material innovations like those woven directly into the TERREX Flooce Hooded Fleece Jacket are indicative of the brand’s efforts to make outdoor gear less burdensome to wear/carry over distances, while retaining temperature regulation comfort and protection from the elements. The versatile jacket is partially made with recycled materials, featuring a perforated second layer designed to retain heat when needed, and ventilate when hot, with a weave structure somewhat like popped bubble wrap in fabric form. The unique loop design uses specially treated yarn and knitting construction to keep the fleece from shedding microplastics with every wash.
adidas TERREX’s Elisa Schaller notes the brand’s partnership with National Geographic has proven immensely popular overseas in Asian markets like South Korea and Japan. \\\ Photo: Gregory Han
It is said it’s better to show than tell, thus adidas TERREX would later transport our small media group to a section of the Pacific Crest Trail equipped with their latest gear to allow us to test the Free Hiker 2 Low GTX across a trail offering a variety of wet, dry, slippery, and unstable sharp terrain. Our shoes would quickly no longer look this new traversing basalt and sodden dirt trails.
Hiking gear, especially footwear, has silently communicated whether you’re apt to venture across the creek, over the hills, and down into canyons. And until very recently, hiking boots emphasizing durability and weatherproof ruggedness – oftentimes at the expense of comfort – were the standard for those with more serious mileage intentions. The Free Hiker 2 Low GTX makes a convincing case it’s not inconceivable the best hiking shoes might be lightweight and low top, and certainly should feel as comfortable during the final leg back as the first step across the trailhead.
The adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 Low GTX hiking shoes retail for $180 at adidas.com.
All photos credited to Adidas TERREX except where noted.
